Goodbye to 2013

As this year nears its end, I can't say I'm sorry to see it go. It had ups and downs, like every year does, but in particular I learned some very valuable lessons I won't soon forget.

Rather than a list of resolutions for next year, here's a list of what I learned:

1) Always be thankful for those that love you and have your back.

2) Don't ignore your instincts - in life or work.  If you're gut is telling you something is wrong, it probably is.

3) Time is a commodity that, once spent, is never returned.  Make sure you're spending it on the right people and things.

4) Las Vegas is a terrible place and someone should burn it to the ground**

5) There are bad people in this world. That's a fact.  But, just because you encounter one, doesn't mean you should give up on people as a whole.  There are also some really good people.

6) Friends can be very wise if you listen to them.

Now go check out this blog that always makes me laugh.  #3 on her list of disappointments is my favorite.  One day it will be legal...one day...


My Champagne of choice this NYE is Piper-Heidsieck.  It comes in this beautiful box (you can use the top to hold a votive candle also).  Marilyn Monroe said she started each day with a glass, but I can't think of a better way to toast in the new year (besides a kiss at midnight, of course).  Cheers 2014!!!






**I'm kind of kidding about this one.  My BFF and I had some fun times on that trip but I swear I will never, ever go back.

Much Needed Article

Based on some choices I've made lately,  I really started to question my decision making process.  As the year ends, there is a lot for me to reflect on - successes and failures.  

While thinking about 2014 and what I hope the next year to be like, I happened across this article:
Mentally Strong People:  The 13 Things They Avoid  

I spend a lot of time on my physical health but don't often think of my mental health and whether I exercise practices that make me mentally strong.  

In reading this list, I immediately identified the things I absolutely don't do ( #7 dwell on the past, #9 resent other people's success, #11 fear alone time, #12 feel the world owes them anything, #13 expect immediate results);
the things I sometimes do  ( #1 waste time feeling sorry for themselves, #2 give away their power, #3 shy away from change, #4 waste energy on things they can't control); 
and things I have a bad habit of doing (#5 worry about pleasing others, #6 fear taking calculated risks, #10 give up after failure)

So my resolution this year is to commit as much time to being mentally strong as I do to taking care of my physical body.  For 2014 I'm focusing on overall health rather than just cutting back on drinking or carbs.  

Here's wishing you all luck with your mental and physical health in the coming year.  (I suggest you read the full article - very interesting) 

Tough times.

There have been a lot of changes going on lately that have made things tough overall.  My aunt sent me this today and it couldn't have been more timely.

It's almost that time again...

Chili cookoff is tomorrow and this is the 3rd year for Team No Beans MF. We've upgraded to professional shirts this year designed by yours truly:

And the winning recipe is on that white sheet of paper:

You know what they say about the 3rd time?  It's'a the charm. 

Can't Wait!

Girl's Trip! Woo Hoo!

10 Reasons I will never, EVER, buy another house:

1)  Yard work.  I hate it.  You may have seen my blog posts about gardening.  I do like gardening - but you can have a pot of tomatoes or a raised bed anywhere.  You don't need a yard for that.  I'd rather dig my eye out with a spoon than trim another Crepe Myrtle.  I'd love for someone to come remove all of mine.  Or poison them.  Whichever.

2)  Disposal Repair.  This is one of the most disgusting tasks ever.  Mine breaks every other week when I make the egregious error of throwing a vegetable peel of some sort down it.  My disposal says, "Aw, HAIL no" and refuses to work any further.  This leads to a backed up sink, plunging, draining and snaking.  I want  back the days when a maintenance man would deal with this situation.

3)  Foundation drama.  I had the misfortune to buy a home in a part of Dallas, Texas where the ground moves. every. freaking. day.  I swear every other house on my street has a sign out front of some foundation company that's doing work.  We actually benefit (if you can call it that) by owning a pier and beam rather than a slab.  So instead of my foundation work costing 15K, it (only?) cost me 6K.  Yay!?
Bad news?  Texas has zero regulation on foundation repair companies.  Hell, I could start a business and say I do foundation repair.  I might just do that. 

4) Size. So everything's bigger in Texas, right?  That's why my household of 2, plus 3 dogs, needs 2400 square feet of living space - Of which, we've somehow managed to fill every nook and cranny.  If there's an empty counter space, then by God, we need to set something on it.  I absolutely cannot stand it.  I'm currently trying to figure out how to downsize EVERYTHING.  Somehow the brother I don't speak to can cram his wife and four children in a 1000 square foot town home.  That's 6 living, breathing human bodies in 1000 square feet.  Why do we need 2 times that? 

5) Cleaning.  This goes along with #4.   Look I'm a pretty clean person.  In fact, a little OCD at times.  I would love for my house to be perfectly organized and smell like pine sol.  How can I manage to do this when I work full time and have outside activities that keep me occupied?  Simply, I can't.  It would take me no time at all to clean my apartment but the house is too much.  I've entertained the idea of getting some help with the cleaning work.  For a house my size, it would cost at least $125 for someone to come once every 2 weeks.  That's $250 a month, roughly 3K a year.  I can go on a trip for that kind of money (which I'd much rather do).

6) Cost.  In no way do I think the cost of owning a home beats living in an apartment.  People like to talk about equity.  Equity is a word mortgage brokers use to con people into home ownership.  Whatever money you supposedly build in equity, you're putting right back into your home with all the upkeep.  Having a handyman and someone else to maintain the common areas is worth whatever "equity" I have in my current home.

7) Vinyl Siding.  Do yourself a favor and keep the hell away from this crap.  Many a time I've had to climb up on my roof to put the siding back in place after a strong wind or storm blows through.  J won't climb up on the roof because he's scared of falling.  The last time I had to do it, I made him hand me a bunch of nails and I spent a good hour banging away with a hammer to make sure it never moved again.  Its junk and I don't want any part of it.

8) Pest control.  There was a snake - a SNAKE - in my yard one time when I was forced to rake leaves.  I took one look at it, screamed and ran into the house where I promptly locked the door on J and all the dogs.  Granted I think it was a grass snake but I know for a fact there are at least 12 different kinds of poisonous snakes in Texas.  I need to live in a setting where my chances of encountering one of these are slim to none.  Also, in my apartment, a nice note would appear on my door every few months or so, that said they would be in my apartment to spray for bugs.  Now I have to pay for someone to come make sure I don't have roaches, termites, and other such vermin.  I just want the nice note!

9)  Mail delivery.  At my old place, the office folks would sign for all the packages.  When something went missing, I could direct my wrath at the apartment complex if needed.  But I actually had great success with receiving my packages during my apartment dwelling days.  Nowadays, its a different story.  I ordered some medication for my poor, arthritic pug.  When I checked the USPS, it said they were delivered when in fact they were not.  I set up a claim with USPS (truly a worthless endeavor) and wrote a note to my mail carrier about the mishap.  Almost a week later, whoever opened the package must have realized they didn't want to keep the arthritis meds, and finally put it back into the hands of the post office. 

10) Getting rid of the Damn Thing.  Now that I've realized home ownership is not for me, I've also come to the very disappointing conclusion that I'm stuck with it.  Ah the days when I could simply turn in a notice and be gone!  Now, its a freaking ordeal to get rid of it.  Because we did an FHA loan, we're prohibited from selling the house until the end of this year.  On top of that, You have to make it look all nice and shit so someone will actually be interested in buying it.  This means I have to finish painting and decorating (which I have SO much free time to do).  Nothing but a hassle. 

I realize this was a rant but I honestly feel if I had it to do all over again I'd tell myself, RUN, don't walk, away from this home buying business.

Spring has sprung...kinda

May 3rd and it's a beautiful, sunny 64 degrees here in Dallas.  Yes Dallas, Texas.  I'm not sure I've ever worn a sweater in May before but I'm wearing one today.  I had to have one on yesterday since it was a whopping 40 degrees.  Unexpected to say the least.

My garden is back in full swing with lots of kale, tomato, pepper, onion, basil and squash.  We might be on squash overload this year because I threw a few seeds in the garden box early on.  When nothing happened, I got impatient and bought some started squash plants.  Now the seeds have sprouted.  Good thing hubby likes squash.

The biggest disappointment from the last month is that I've discovered I cannot grow an avocado tree here in Dallas.  After LOTS of online research, It appears our climate is too cold as one hard freeze will kill an avocado tree dead.  Boo.  Also they take 7 YEARS before they produce fruit.  I practically eat an avocado a day so I'm not sure I can wait that long (even if it were possible).

I heard about a book called Absolutely Avocados in last month's Redbook mag.  This chick claims you can substitute an avocado for the stick of butter used in chocolate chip cookies.  No lie!  Her food looks pretty good so I'm tempted to order the book and give it a try.

There are also quite a few home renovations in the air for this spring/summer.  And I have plans to put a chicken coop in my back yard!  I'm SO excited about having chickens.  Lots to do - and as my dad would say - I'd "better get busy, cause times a wastin'."

Eureka Springs

My dude and I went to Eureka Springs for our 1 year anniversary.  It was such a relaxing trip (even though it was freezing!)  We still got out and saw some very cool things despite the cold temps.

We stayed at The Inn at Rose Hall.  I highly recommend this B&B.  The owner and innkeeper are very nice.  The breakfast is very good and the rooms are very comfy.  We definitely took advantage of the giant jacuzzi tub a time or two (with a little champagne nearby).

One of my favorite places was Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.  You can read more about the awesome work these people do to care for "Big Cats" that have been found and/or surrendered by their owners.  (Seriously people, why would you think a Tiger would be a good pet?  FYI - they're not - don't be an idiot and get a regular cat).  If helping animals is your thing, consider donating to this organization.

Another cool spot was a store called Fresh Harvest.  This place is a tasting room for olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  They have the standard oil and vinegar but also infuse the oils with things like Basil, Blood Orange and Cayenne (just to name a few).  We had a great time checking out the different flavors and I think I found a secret weapon for the State Fair Chili Cook-Off.  I took home a bunch of stuff from this place.

My favorite restaurants were Local Flavor Cafe and Ermilio's (the waitress at Ermilio's asked me if I was old enough to drink the wine and then asked hubby for my age to confirm.  heehee)  Highly recommend both! 

And, Finally, Here are a few pics:

When hubby was born, his hippie parents lived next to this artist.  Apparently he's in the Louvre and NYC Modern Art Museum.  From the hills of Arkansas to NYC - who knew? 

Cool little amphitheater

I love Irises - there are lots in this area.

The Crescent Hotel is supposedly haunted.  We didn't see any ghosts.

Thorncrown Chapel - Beautiful and Peaceful -  http://www.thorncrown.com/

Cheers to 1 year of marriage!

Our beautiful anniversary cake from Frosted Art Bakery in Dallas, TX.

Me and my man.  He's a cutie.

A little gift from hubby...he did good!

If you have a long weekend, Eureka Springs is definitely worth a visit!

Getting older

So here's the biggest difference I've noticed between 20 and 30 - there seem to be more wrinkles around my eyes when I smile. Like when you're 20, you have two wrinkles around the eye but when you're 30, you have five. What a difference it makes. I can still pull off a fairly young woman if I wear jeans and a t-shirt and keep my face perfectly neutral. But the minute I smile back and those tale-tell crinkles pop up, it's evident I'm not a college girl anymore.

"Yes ma'am", they say as they pack my groceries.

The store clerk looks at me again as she scans the bottle of wine, gauging my appearance. The freckles throw her off a bit.  The minute I smile back at her she doesn't even card me.

Dammit.

Review: Roots Juices

So, I have been reading a lot on Juice Cleansing.  Some people say its great; some say it's terrible.  Honestly, I don't know so I decided to try one for myself.  Fortunately, Dallas has a company that delivers "freshly pressed" juices right to your door:  Roots Juices.  I read through every inch of their website before ordering.  I even read some of the online reviews.  I was a little concerned because one review stated they had bad customer service.  I can honestly say that was not my experience at all.  I opted for the 3 day cleanse (I just wasn't sure I could actually make it 5 days on liquid only) and placed my order.  It was not cheap but I didn't expect it to be.  $150 for 3 days worth of juices.

DAY 1:

I wanted to start on Monday (the 28th) so I called and talked to Brent.  He said it would be no problem and advised me to order online and put in the notes section I wanted delivery on Monday.  Monday morning they dropped off my 3 days worth of juices in a reusable bag.  They even sent me a text after they dropped the juices at my door saying "Your roots juices have arrived!"  Here is what they looked like after I got them in my fridge:

So Cute! 

They included a handy chart showing the order for consuming these juices.  I started with the Wake Up: a mix of carrot, apple, ginger and watermelon.  So far so good.  I'm not a fan of carrots but I liked the spice of the ginger.  I didn't miss eating breakfast because I'm not a big breakfast person anyway.  I usually just eat a piece of toast in the morning to settle my stomach so I can take my vitamins.

Next on the list is Refresh: cucumber, lime, mint, apple and ginger.  I thought this one was pretty tasty.  I could definitely taste the lime and cucumber.  Again, I wasn't hungry at this point.  In between I sipped on the Aloe Vera h2O (filtered water with aloe vera).  It just tastes like water.  I do notice a slight headache.  Most likely, this is caused from the lack of my cup of morning coffee.

Time for Juice 3.  Oh no!  No no no no no.  This juice is called Restore and the first ingredient listed is BEETS!  I have a specific dislike of beets from my time doing the Tracy Anderson Method. (You can read about that here)  The other ingredients in this juice are carrots, apple, aloe and ginger but I can tell from the red color I won't be tasting anything but beet.  I removed the lid and gave it a little sniff.  Yep, beets.  All the way.  You can't mistake the dirt smell.  But I signed up for this voluntarily so I take a little sip.  And make a face.  Another sip.  Another face.  I can tell this would look disturbing if someone could actually see me.  I'm not a fan of this juice.  Let's just hope my body is thanking me deep down. 

Oh the horror of the dreaded beet!

Juice 4 is called Lean & Fit. It is pretty much straight up grapefruit juice. The label says it contains mint but I didn't taste any. I have to say, this one tasted awesome after the beet juice. It was almost enough to wipe away the memory of the horrid beets. Almost.

At 5 pm, I started Juice 5 - Go Green. It has celery, kale, spinach, romaine, cucumber and lemon. Again, this one is good. I taste more of the cucumber and lemon than anything. I am still not hungry. I think it's because my body is saturated with liquid. I'm still fighting the headache but overall I'm feeling pretty good.

I get home around 6 pm.  It all of a sudden hits me.  I'm hungry.  I know my other half is going to eat soon so I opt for taking an early bath to get away from dinner.  He's in the kitchen cooking chicken in our grill pan and IT SMELLS SO GOOD.  I try not to think about it and after my bath I move on to Juice 6 - Health Nut Almond Milk.  All I can say about this one is YUM!  It is, by far, the best of all the juices and helps fill me up before bedtime.

DAY 2:

Today my headache is gone and I start the process all over again with the Wake Up Juice.  I'm feeling pretty good and not hungry at this point.  The day goes well until I have to drink the beets (blah).  I manage to get them down.

A girl in my office asks me about the juice cleanse.  When I start describing it, she gets a terrible look on her face and says "Just hearing about this makes me want some cheese fries with ranch."  (By the way, this chick eats cheese fries 2-3 times a week and she's not fat.  She purposely abstains from putting anything healthy in her body.)  I tell her my body internally cringed from the thought of all the fat in cheese fries.  Hydrogenated, fried junk just sounds gross right now.  I'm not judging because there are times when I want that stuff too, but right now is not one of those times.

I had to go to a work-related happy hour with some people in the evening.  It was not as bad as I thought it would be.  Fortunately,  alcohol also sounds gross right now.  A guy from work offered to buy me chicken fingers and a glass of wine on Friday to celebrate the end of my juice cleanse/sobriety.  I told him I was good.  Really - chicken fingers and wine?  Um, No.

I'm TIRED and a little hungry when I finally get home.  I drink the Heatlh Nut Almond milk (still yum - it's kind of sweet) and go to bed early.

DAY 3:

I got out of bed at 6:20 am!  I never wake up that early.  I was at my office by 7:35; also an unusual occurrence.  I am feeling great.  My skinny jeans are fitting nicely today (a little loose even).  My work BFF came in at 8:30 and cautiously entered my office.  I think she was surprised when I greeted her cheerfully.  She had this "Who are you?" look on her face.  She asked me how much weight I had lost.  Honestly, I don't know because I didn't weight myself before and I wasn't doing this as a weight loss plan.  I can tell my clothes are fitting a bit looser.  I also did not work out during this 3 day period because I was a little scared of pushing it.

One thing I will say - I am a little tired of drinking so much liquid.  Most of it tastes great and I am feeling good but I really want something solid at this point.  I'm hanging in though.  When its time for the beet juice, I delay.  Opting to sip on the Chlorophyll h2O a bit longer...

I had to post this pic on my friend Bryan's Facebook wall.  We were huge Adam Sandler nerds in high school.  In response to the pic he wrote: "No, I will not make-out with you!! On with the Chlorophyll!"

I still don't like the beet juice but the Lean & Fit after it is my new favorite.  I finished the day and was just a tiny bit sad I didn't have any juices to drink the next day.  I thought about going another two days but I have to confess, I was a bit light-headed the evening of Day 3.  I took it as a sign I needed to start back on regular food.

Overall, I really liked this 3 day cleanse.  I was concerned about going back to solid foods, afraid it would throw my body into shock.  Lots of people asked me if I was going to have a cheeseburger.  I opted to ease back into food with carrots and celery.  Later I had a salad and french onion soup.   No bad side affects.

I'm not 100% sure of the benefits of juicing but I can tell you I felt like I was doing something really good for my body.  It also helped me kick the coffee habit and I haven't started back.   If you've been thinking of juicing, I'd say give it a shot.  Don't let my dislike of beets dissuade you either.  They are only in the one juice and beets have tons of health benefits.  Roots Juices has created some great products and there are other varieties of juices besides the ones included here (I'd like to try the Watermelon Cooler and the Pear Pleasure).  Check it out, give it a try and let me know what YOU think...

Texts from my husband:

J:  You have a warrant out in Farmers Branch?

                                                                       Me:  No.  Why?

J:  You got a letter for not paying a ticket.

                                                                      Me:  What letter??
                                                                              From when?
                                                                              What date?

J:  Gaw!!!!!!!! 7/17/2011
    My wife is a felon :(

                                                                      Me:  I'm not a fu*king felon.
                                                                              How much?

J:  $100 I think
                                                                      Me:  Is there a website?
                                                                              About to pay it right now.

J: Costs $25 to pay online

(At this point he emails a copy of the letter to me at my WORK email with the subject line: Felony Warrant)

                                                             
                                                                     Me:  It's NOT a felony, asshole!

                                                                     Me:  And it doesn't say there's a fee
                                                                             for paying online.

J:  Yeah, I just read it again...

    Maybe some conjugal visits when you're in jail?

                                                                    Me:  No.  You're ill.
                                                                            Worst husband ever.

J:  Best husband ever for sticking by my wife,
    the criminal.







                                                                    

Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge of 2013

An organization dear to my heart, DFW Pug Rescue, is trying to win $10,000 to put towards their vet bills from the Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge 2013.  I have two pugs, Beans and Cactus Jack, which is why I champion this cause.  Pugs are wonderful, loving, highly entertaining dogs. 

Learn more about the contest and how to cast your vote HERE.  

About DFW Pug Rescue (from their blog):

 

We rescue ALL Texas pugs regardless of age or medical condition. Since we rescue ALL Texas pugs, our veterinary care is our biggest on-going expense and we average approximately $250,000 a year in veterinary expenses. This amount is after our veterinary care clinics provide deep discounts. 100% of all funds donated to DFW Pug Rescue are used to pay for Veterinary care.

I can't tell you how many stories I've read on their website about the great work this group has done.  The pugs they get come from a variety of places.  Some pugs come from puppy mills and abusive homes; Others are owner surrenders due to a medical condition the owner is unable to afford.  This group works hard to nurse their pugs back to healthy, adoptable condition.  They are passionate about what they do! 

I voted! So please take a minute of your time to vote here and help DFW Pug Rescue continue their mission of saving these awesome dogs.